Like French Fries and Ketchup
by Sexless Doll
Summary: AU Alphonse Elric is your everyday regular. He lives with his slightly alchoholic brother, and now he must learn to adjust to a new town, a new school, and new neighbors. Then there's his biggest adjustment, Wrath. Friendship Fic
1. Chapter 1

It's Raining Cats And Dogs 

Rating: T

Disclaimer: -insert clever disclaimer here-

Alphonse Elric / Wrath No Pairing, just friendship

Layer One:

'Prologue'

The two brothers stood in front of their erstwhile home as they hauled out the last of their possessions to the moving truck. Edward jumped on the truck's bumper and pulled down the door to the back, "Well that's the last of it. Thanks again for agreeing to drive the moving truck to out new house, Roy." Ed nodded as he looked back to his sibling, Alphonse, who was holding his dearly beloved feline companion, Milky, staring blankly at the old abode. Ed usually didn't let Al keep strays that were just wondering around, but something deep within him must have budged, because Milky had been with them through the ups and downs of the foregoing three years, and through the recent death of Trisha Elric, their mother.

Trisha tolerated from a terminal illness, but never told her sons, because she coveted them to live there lives without distressing about her constantly. Just a diminutive week ago, her secret had been revealed to her sons, when she was taken to the hospital after she was found near departed, still on the kitchen floor, grocery bags scattered about. After her passing the Elric brothers decided it would be best if they moved away from this dwelling, into a neighborhood near their near at hand family friends, the Rockbells.

"Hey Al..." Ed started cautiously, looking at his sibling with concern. Al blinked and turned to his brother abruptly, he had spaced out again. "I can understand, if you're mad at me for making us move out of this house, but look on the bright side, we'll be near Winry and the old hag, so we'll always have someone there."

"I'm not angry at you, brother. Or Mom for not telling us... you guys are just making the best choices, even if they don't seem like it." Alphonse sighed, and tried to smile, but it slowly faded. Who was he kidding, he was on the verge of a malfunction.

"Don't worry, Al. I'm sure the new house will be fine. Besides, you know what they say, 'Time heals all wounds'." Ed tried to perk up his downhearted other.

"We better get in the car, Ed. So Roy can follow us to the new house." Al spoke softly as he made his way to the passengers seat. He felt medially guilty about leaving this house, because it was the place his mother had died in, and now some stranger will be living in it. Although he was placid enough to keep a straight face he was tore up inside, but he decided that Ed was right, and this would pass soon enough. Alphonse opened the door and took his seat next to Ed who had already started up the car.

Not only were they making the tremendous transformation of moving, they were also going from their smaller country side scene, to more of the faster pace of suburban life, impending to the city as well. That meant the houses would be a lot closer together, and a lot more people to meet. On top of that it meant Al had to switch schools, Ed hadn't worry about that himself being eighteen, he had already graduated, but his brother was still fourteen and had four more years if school left before he was through.

"Alright Al, let's hurry to our new house so we can unpack all of our junk, then have dinner." Edward chuckled as his stomach made a distinctive sound, causing Alphonse to break into laughter as well. Ed took a content breath, as he drove forward, Roy right behind him in the moving truck, he was confident Al would like this new place, even if it took a little time to adapt. Al looked at his brother, then the passing lush meadows out the car window, then caught a glimpse of his own reflection. He blinked then reached in his backpack and got his Mp3 player out, and played the song.

"_Cause I don't care where I belong no more, _

_What we share or not I will ignore,_

_And I won't waste my time fitting in, _

_Cause I don't think contrast is a sin, _

_No, it's not a sin..."_

Layer One: Prologue

Fin

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I just randomly had this idea, check back for the next chapter soon. I encourage commenting and critiquing. See ya around.

Kit


	2. Chapter 2

Edward's car stopped hard as he parked, in a very hazardous manner. He made Alphonse hold the wheel while he stuck his head out the window and flashed a victory sign Roy's way. In return Roy gave a fairly rankled sigh and hung his head in failure. Before the drive down they made a diminutive bet about who would make it to the house first, the loser...well let's just say the sidewalk is going to have a new fiery Roy Mustang, standing casually in a school girl uniform, complimented with pigtails and around his neck saying, "I'm enjoying every minute of this!" It was all Ed's idea; he was surely a master in torment. Plus to top it all off, if someone has the curiosity to ask, he has to tell them he lost to Ed, who will be standing close by making sure Roy doesn't chicken or turkey out.

Now the whole idea, in Al's opinion at least was just fueling the rivalry between the two, but part of him actually was looking forward to it. He didn't say that in front of his elder of course, though he may be older, one of them had to be the more mature of the two, and Ed surely wasn't volunteering. Alphonse's hand was still gripped tightly on the wheel, he was holding on to it like his life depended on it, because well it did.

"ED! GET BACK IN HERE AND HELP ME!" Al shouted quite loudly, sometimes his brother could be blocked so much by pride, he zoned out into his own little world. There are times when Al just wanted to blurt out, 'Ed, your an idiot.' But he was a very restrained individual, that's why he made it this far.

Ed's neck snapped back and he took grab of the wheel frantically with both hands at the 10 and 2 position, and tried to make sure he made a good impression by not crashing into any of the neighbor's cars, well at least before they moved in. "Damn it all, Roy took up all the driveway. Now I have to parallel park!" Ed sighed as he started changing the gears.

"No--! I mean uh let me, brother. You know I think you're a little tired from the drive, it could affect your er—skills..." He muttered the last part.

"Huh? Al.you don't have a license..." Edward gave him a blank look, sure he could be reckless at times but no little brother of his was going to park his car without a license.

"I know I don't but I'm a really good driver, so please?" Alphonse put on a more sincere face; he had to get Ed to agree, for his brother's safety and hopefully his own. Besides, Al always wanted to take the ol' ride out for a small, very brief joyride, but that's not something you usually just go out and ask directly. He feared a rebellious, more diabolic, inner teenager was emerging in him. Is that a good thing or a bad thing?

"Well...I don't know Al..." Ed started in his protective tone.

"You sound just like, Dad." He squinted his eyes, he himself had nothing against there father, sometimes referred to as Hoho Papa, and Rootman don't ask, it's an inside joke, but Ed sure as hell did.

"WHAT!? No way I am like that-that BASTARD! Fine Al, you wanna park this car, you got it!" He smiled in a sort of happy and angry way, Al was a lot more devious than he let on. Besides, sometimes it was just an original blast to push Edward's buttons. Ed and Al both got out of the car and at midway meeting point during the seat switch Ed handed the car keys to Al. Once they were both in their seats, Al put the key in the ignition, starting the car. Then he made sure to go through all the things he saw Ed do when he went out on his first drive. Adjust the mirror, in his case a bit higher, Ed may have grown but Al shot like a weed, so they often get mixed up, Al being called the older brother while Ed the younger. It's kind of awkward when it happens so Al tries to laugh it off but Ed tends to get a bit more angry, he is a whole four years older than Al.

Now Al put on his seatbelt, and moved back the seat some. He could swear his heart was beating out of his chest, he swallowed hard an clutched the gear shift and put it in reverse. Slowly but surely he backed up the car, then he moved to forward, then reverse, until Ed's vehicle was smoothly parked between two other cars, actually there was a lot more cars out then Alphonse would imagine. The neighbors on the right side seemed to have three cars, then again the house was bigger. They must have a lot of people, or maybe company visiting them. Either way it was none of their business so it shouldn't be thought on too much.

Ed cocked his head to the left and gave Al a signature grin, "Great job, Al. Are you sure you don't take the car out when I'm not looking. It's been two years since I've been on the road, and I still royally suck at parking parallel."

"I'm sure, Ed. I don't think I could ever be sneaky enough to get past you or mom." He smiled back, he then realized the words that came out of this mouth. He mentioned their mother, great move. What was he going to do, what if Ed get's uncomfortable, or upset.

"Yeah, she always did have the keenest eyes! Nothing could get past her, especially me. Oh man, oh man, oh man!" He recalled many times where Trisha had caught him in the act. No matter how well thought his mischievous plans were, she was able to counter them.

Alphonse stepped out of the car and let out a sigh of relief, that went a lot smoother than he thought it would. Maybe he was just a natural pessimistic. He and Ed started to race to the house but almost accidentally made a collision with a one very angry Winry Rockbell.

"Hey, Win! We finally got here--! OUCH!" Ed wailed as she gave him a modest whack on the head, "What the hell was that for!?"

"I decided to stop by earlier, so I could help you guys unpack, and I see Al driving the car! Are you aware he doesn't have a license!?" She started waving a finger in Ed's face, and he followed it back and forth, back and forth until—"EDWARD ELRIC! ARE YOU LISTENING TO ME!"

"Hmm, yeah. Look, it was Al's insistion that he parked the car, I drove all the way down here. So don't sweat it Winry." He explained still looking at Winry's finger which was no longer in his face. For some reason he seemed to enjoy the way it moved, maybe he should get a dog, and watch it's tail all day. Suddenly he snapped out of his racing thoughts, "Uh so, Winry. We're here, so if you wanted to give us a hand all of our junk is packed into the moving truck on your left."

Right on cue Roy came from around the corner and walked up to Ed, Al, and Winry. Then his eyes laid on Winry, who still looked a bit peeved sending Ed stares that could burn through flesh. "Hello, you must be Winry. Edward has told me so much about you, but from the way he described you, I would have pictured you some sort of malicious witch."

"WHAT HAVE YOU BEEN SAYING ABOUT ME, ED!?" She exploded, how could he say such a thing?

"THAT'S A LIE!" He screamed back, Roy was playing them both like suckers. But you know what they say, revenge can be a bitch. That's right all part of Roy's master plan. How could he not get back at Ed for the embarrassment he'll have to endure tomorrow?

"I'm afraid Ed's right, because I would have never imagined you to be such a beautiful young woman." He purposely flirted with her, see he didn't have any feelings toward Winry at all. In fact, he already had a secret fiancé, but none of them knew that. Besides, Roy had a gut feeling about the way Edward truly described her, that he had something for her. Now he was just toying with Edward's emotions.

"You really mean that?" She blushed back happily, it wasn't everyday she got attention like this. Might as well enjoy it.

"Of course, my word is true, through and through." The last bit of his words he gave Ed a look. Not your everyday look, like a kind smile after you help someone out, or a look that is bored and wants out of this place. No, a very EVIL look, that's right, two ebony orbs, flashing at him with malice. It.was.on.

Al also noticed this stare and gave an expression of his own, exhaustion. Those two—they were friends. Why did they fight like this constantly? It seemed everything they did was a contest, to just see who could win. It made Al want to rip out his ponytail sometimes. And now, now they were dragging clueless Winry into their fight.

"Why don't you go to hell, it's heaven for pyros like you!" Edward bit, as Alphonse tuned back into the conversation.

"Ed, cut it out. Can't we keep the peace." He hated being stuck in the middle of things, but it's better when he can at least try to do something about it.

"Al..." He started with a sympathetic look, "Alright, Roy, we better stop it, and get to work. Alright everyone, grab something from the moving truck and haul it in!" he clapped his hands to show he was being serious now.

"Right." They all agreed, and grabbed something, and brought it in. And after, what seemed to be hours, they had hauled every bit of it in.

---

"Phew, what a workout." Ed stretched his limbs.

"You can say that again." Winry agreed as everyone else gave a nod.

"Well, I think I better go..." Roy started as he grabbed his jacket.

"Nonsense, you gotta stay for dinner, Mustang!" Ed insisted.

"No Ed, I really better get going, well if I'm going to hold to that bet." He stared blankly at the ground.

"What bet?" Winry asked Ed slightly irritated. Whatever it was it must be pretty bad.

"You'll see, Winry..." Ed winked.

Al was astray from the conversation, he was looking over to the other house. It looked really old with a type of Victorian feel. There were bare trees surrounding it, like it was blocking the house from sight, and there was black spiked gate around it. The entrance to the gate sported a lock, with an array of chains sliding down it. The grass looked like it hadn't been cut in months, and it was a brownish shade, as well as dead. The bricks leading to the front door from the gate were either out of place, or had that withered grass in between the cracks. As for the house itself, it was like a mansion, so huge, it made their humble new abode look like an ant hill. The paint was coming off, and the sidings were loose, the windows all had shutters, and they all looked like they had been violently slammed shut. Light could be seen from the windows, and there were cars parked around it, so Al could tell it wasn't abandoned. But still, something about that place gave Al a shiver up his spine, it didn't scare him, but it did make him wonder. What kind of people would live in a place like that? It was creepy like, almost haunting, perhaps the people there were the same...he could only wonder.

For their house, it was pretty simple. It was a beige, while that supposed haunted house was some sort of lilac, which was a strange colour for a house. Maybe an elderly woman lived there, he could yet only guess. Not gigantic, but enough space for him and his brother to fit, without bugging each other too much. Their driveway was made of stones, and they had some lampposts near the gate of their neighbors house, that looked ancient. That was pretty much it, it seemed like such quite, place for such a rowdy generation.

"Al! Ready for dinner?" Ed rubbed his stomach in emphasis. Roy had already seemed to leave, as Winry scattered back to her own house, probably to tell Pinako that they were ready now.

"No, Ed. I'm not very hungry, you go on. I'll be in my room." He said seriously as he still had his eyes locked on that house, then he realized his brother may be worried so he turned around and grinned wide, "Okay, brother?"

"Well, I'll try and bring you something back. Be home soon, and I'll just be up the street if you need anything." Ed explained, "Later." He walked off, and Al gave one more intense look at that house. Then when he turned around he had realized his brother had already been out of sight. He walked up to his own new house and opened it with the key that his brother had given him before they moved there. Right as he walked in he kicked off his shoes and made his way to his bedroom, and in a split second he collapsed on the bed. What an excruciating day.

About an hour later Edward had come home and also removed his shoes at the door, "Al! I'm home!" He called out but when he got no response he decided to go to his brother's room, to make sure he was around the house. "Al?" he whispered through the halls. When he got to Al's room his face went from a slight worry, to a warm calm. He pushed open the door lightly to see his brother, in the clothes he wore that day, sleeping soundly on his mattress, Milky beside his feet. "Well, I shouldn't wake him. Maybe tomorrow then..." he held a watch in his hand, with what seemed to be a lion on it. It was his; he had gotten it when he visited an antique shop. It had brought him great luck, now he wanted Al to have it, because luck was something he would need.

But little did Al know, as he observed that house that very day, two violet eyes were looking right back at him...

----

What an exhaustment. I tried to make this chapter as long as I could, hope you enjoy it. The mysteries and Mustang's hot new attire will all be in chapter 3. Stay tuned.


	3. Chapter 3

Wow. Two months and no update.

SORRY GUYS.

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A cracking sound hit up against the window, and Al flinched in his sleep. The bang came again, this time louder, making Al open his eyes to tiny slits. With the view of his window, he immediately opened his eyes extremely wide and ran to his window. The sound itself was a harmless tree branch, but the shock was that Milky had got outside somehow and climbed on said branch. In a miniature panic attack, Al looked out the window then around everywhere looking for something to help his situation.

Clothes, bookbag, ninja ducky...

"DOESN'T THREE YEARS OF HEALTH TRAINING GIVE ME ANY OTHER OPTIONS!" Al screeched clenching his head in frustration. Looking outside to the raving, waving tree branch made him even more nervous. A strong wind came through this morning along with a thick coat of humid fog. What a unblemished way to start things off.

"Uh...Uh! UH!" Al started to fear again, in the frenzy he reached his hands and felt all over the top of his dresser, till he felt something cold and metallic like. Grabbing the object, he gazed at it carefully and ran his thumb over the engravement. It was Ed's watch, but why was it in his room? Al redirected his glance back to Milky, then he looked back to the pocketwatch. Squinting slightly through the mist, he tensed his grip on the watch, "Brother, forgive me if this doesn't work." He took a deep breath and threw the chain of the watch over to Milky and made sure it was right in front of her face.

Milky; suddenly distracted by the chain reached out her paw and began to swat at the chain. "That's it..." Al pulled back the chain slowly and Milky pursued it, still knocking about her paws. "C'mon Milky, almost there." He plead. Right when she had got a couple of inches from the window, and at the pass of the tree branch he bluntly yanked the watch back inside, and stuffed it in his pocket. Milky leaped over from the branch to the inside of Alphonse's room, and he caught her carefully in his arms. "Gotcha!"

---

"Ed...this is embarrassing..."

"I know! Isn't it wonderful!"

"I think some people are getting the wrong idea, I saw some very curious women give me some winks. I'm an engaged man! I shouldn't be doing this!"

"Oh lightin' up, Mustang! I doubt she'd mind if a few women and a couple men were looking at you like a starved person looks at a steak."

Roy gulped awkwardly, and tried to pull down his skirt some more. He seemed the most anxious and dainty Ed had ever seen him. His clogs' toes touched each other, while his stockings going up to his upper thiegh was beginning to chafe. His knees bumped into each other, and he held down the front part of his skirt protectively. His face bore a look of embarrassment, fear, and anger, which is a combination that you don't see everyday. His short pigtails stuck straight up, with flare as he muttered curses to Ed's back.

Ed could only turn away, and laugh his merry little ass off. Roy became irritated and let go of his skirt to point a finger at him, but the second he let go he grabbed back on again.

"Ugh! What's with these underwear you made me wear underneath this skirt!?" Roy outbursted, his face was beet red.

"Roy. That's a thong. I thought it would be funny if not ONLY you were dressed in drag, but in women's underwear."

"My fiancé is going to kill me..." Roy distraught, as someone wolf whistled at him. Only making him madder and Ed happier.

---

Al straightened his jacket, and patted down his bangs. Even though the morning started off rocky, he still had to arrive for his first day of school. Actually, this would be his first ever year of school, because Trisha had homeschooled him and Ed, but his brother decided to go to public school with Winry while Al did not.

Even though Al was practically a man, at the age of fourteen, he was still weary of not having his brother around ceaselessly. Like now for instance. He didn't even bother looking for him, because he knew that Ed would get Roy up bright and early for their 'friendly bet'.

Al groaned at how stupid adults could be at times and grabbed his backpack. He yawned, and trotted down his stairs, with Milky following behind him. Unloading his items on the kitchen table, he prayed silently then opened the cabinets.

Thank goodness, Winry had gone shopping for them.

Al grabbed a box of cereal, a bowl and some milk and had himself a classic breakfast. He put away the box, and carried the bowl to the table. Shoving his bag forward, to make room for him to eat, he sat down and began chomping away the cereal bits. He had grabbed some "Count Chocula"; he had a sweet tooth, especially for chocolate.

As he took another savory bite, waking up a bit more each minute, he noticed Milky jump on the counter. Ignoring it, because Ed wasn't here to yell at her to get down, because in his eyes counters, beds, couches, and anything else of the sort were for human beings. Not cats.

Al stared out the drawn curtains in the kitchen, with irritation. Him and Ed had little things they did that annoyed each other to no end. One thing that always was an issue; curtains. Ed would always close up to curtains and contain himself in a dark musty house while Al always tried to open them up and get some light in the house.

A swift loud plop made Al break his train of thought, and his spoon. He looked over to the source, and sure enough Milky had knocked over the open half-gallon container of milk. She jumped after the falling liquid and began to clean up the floor. Al just narrowed his eyes and swooped up the plastic jug, screwing the cap back on and flinging it roughly back in the fridge. Al decided he was going to go to school early, to get a good seat so he left the milk mess, and his bowl of un-finished Count Chocula's for Ed to clean up when he got home.

---

Walking out the door, with a sullen face and a negative disposition he began to walk a mile to his school. Ed was supposed to drive him, but he forgot being so entangled with his vendetta. Al grunted at the thick fog in front of his eyes, he for one didn't know the way to the school. This fog wasn't going to help his lack of direction neither. As he began to grudgily step down the sidewalk, he saw the door open from the strange house next door. With a lit curiosity he watched several shrouded figures walk out of the house in the corner of his eye. Once he saw them approach the black pointed gate, he started to walk along, but slowly so he could continue to watch these mysteries from a distance.

To his luck and misfortune, they began to walk not far behind him, on the same sidewalk. He heard many footsteps behind him, so he was sure just about all of them had left. But where were the going? Taking a quick glance back he noticed something, they all had backpacks, and they were rather tall figures. He figured they were all going to his high school, given there was only one in the area. Al relaxed his tense shoulders and began to walk to school, with his strangers behind him with a strange caution. Hopefully they can lead him there and hopefully they didn't see him in front of them, or they didn't care.

---

Al smiled widely because he had made it to Serenity High School, which seemed like a strange name. When he began to walk across all the landmarks to the front gate, he began to hear his neighbors speak.

"Dante was sure in a rut to get us out of the house." A smooth female voice muttered clearly.

"Eh, maybe she just wants us to get to school on time." Spoke a laid back masculine voice.

"Wants us to go to school? She could really care less, you saw what she did to the squirt yesterday for going on one of his tantrums." A voice that seemed in between those two voices whined.

"I wouldn't complain too much about Dante, she feed us and that's all I care about!" which is when Al started to tune them out. He decided he would stand still for a bit, taking in the environment, letting them walk right past him. Just as he hoped, the walked right by him, and didn't say a word or even look at him standing there looking at the towering building.

"That house is full of teenagers? Like me and brother?" he pondered to himself, maybe he would ask Winry about that old house. But for now, he should get into school and find his classes. He could already tell this year would be a wild one.

---

SORRY IT'S SO LATE!

- ;;;

Next chapter will have Wrath, promise. Oh, and I love me some reviews and ideas –chomp-


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